10,000 eggs are broken. And 500 kilos of Grana Padano cheese grated. Eight quintals of flour are sifted and stirred into a smooth dough - by 100 volunteers.
They shape the gigantic mass into about 600,000 "love bones", Nodo d Amore, as the tortellini are called in Valeggio sul Minicio near Verona.

The pasta speciality is the highlight of the Festa del Nodo d'amore, which takes place every year in June on the Visconti Bridge in Valeggio sul Mincio.
After an aperitif and antipasti, the hand-filled pasta is distributed to around 4000 guests who sit on long, white-covered tables on the medieval Visconti Bridge.

Participation in the event is only possible with advance registration from February - and the event is sold out weeks in advance.
Anyone lucky enough to get a card will experience a meal in the open air - with a parade in historical costumes and local wines such as Rosso di Bardolino and Bianco di Custoza.

The tortellini are only the first course, followed by local specialities such as river trout or pork tenderloin with side dishes. And then, of course, there is the dessert. At midnight there is a big fireworks display on the programme.
But the most beautiful moment is when the sun goes down and 4,500 people traditionally light a candle.